Effects of key parameters of impulse noise on prediction of the auditory hazard using AHAAH model

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) is the most common occupational disease in the USA. Impulse noise is a typical noise exposure in military and industrial fields, and generates severe hearing loss problem in these fields. This paper presents four key parameters of impulse noise that significantly affect on Auditory Risk Unit (ARU) in the Auditory Hazard Assessment Algorithm for Humans (AHAAH) model. The results show that ARUs increases monotonically with the peak pressure (both P(+) and P(-)) increasing. While the ARUs increase first and then decrease with time durations rising, and the peak of ARUs appears at about t = 0.2 msec (for both t(+) and t(-)). In addition, the auditory hazard of measured impulse noises generated by the lab noise exposure system was evaluated by using AHAAH model. Results from experiments indicate that the AHAAH model is suitable for impulse noise hazardous evaluation.